Eugene Vs the Dagger
by Bow Ties And Hair Gel
Summary: Just another take on Eugene's death in the tower. Little more detailed. More or less how I would have wanted the scene to go.


**The first fic I've uploaded since I was in 8th grade... I'm almost 20 now! I always thought I would never write fics again but lately I've just been writing little things here and there when I can't sleep at night. I've got so many of them piled up now, so I figured I'd edit them and put them to good use. So here's my take on my favorite scene from tangled. Enjoy!**

He couldn't breathe. Every breath he tried so desperately to suck in caught in his throat, and came out as a horse cough.

It felt like fire. The stab wound inflicted by Gothel's long dagger burn his side like acid on his skin.

His vision blurred in and out of focus. His hand desperately clutched his wounded side, blood practically pouring through his fingers and onto the stone tiled floor.

He could barely register her voice, fighting with Gothel to let her save him. But he did hear her, just barely, and protested through the pain.

"No... n-no Rapunzel."

Rapunzel didn't even look back at him. Her eyes were locked on Gothel's, hoping that somewhere inside that twisted mind, she could find mercy.

Eugene couldn't believe his ears when he heard Rapunzel promised her life away in exchange for his. She never broke a promise; he remembered her say that. But he had to make her break this one. He wouldn't let her trade away her life for his. Her life had only just begun; he had to do something.

When Eugene saw Gothel stride towards him, the anxiety he was feeling increased ten fold. She leaned over him and sat him upright, smiling crazily as he cried out in pain. She took him under the arms and dragged him over towards the banister, Eugene protesting weakly the whole way while letting out a series of hisses and moans. Rapunzel, who Gothel had turned around to stand in the corner, flinched every time she heard Eugene's cries and gasps of pain.

Gothel shoved Eugene up against the banister, taking the chains that had previously bound Rapunzel and shackling him. She jerked him forward, just to get a reaction out of him and Rapunzel, who still waited impatiently in the corner, and whispered in his ear.

"Just in case you get any ideas about following us." She took Eugene's hand and jabbed it towards his wound. He yelped and slumped down towards the ground. He tried pushing himself back up, but was to weak, and slumped down again. Eugene watched with blurry vision as Gothel strode away and tapped Rapunzel on the shoulder.

Rapunzel was at his side in less than a second. She looked over his body as he coughed hoarsely, letting out a small cry of pain. She could tell he was trying to hold back, to not let his pain show through, and tried stroking his face to try and calm him. But then he twisted the wrong way, and he let out a sharp cry. He hissed through his teeth as he slid lower towards the ground, and Rapunzel looked worridly at where his hand covered the wound.

"Just let me see, please." she begged. She grabbed Eugene's trembling hand and gently lifted it from where it firmly laid over his wounded side. Eugene gasped loudly as Rapunzel tried to inspect the wound, but when she saw the large amounts of blood coating his hand and side she quickly moved back, a nauseating feeling overwhelming her.

"Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry," she gasped. "Everything is gonna be okay though."

"No Rapunzel." He couldn't let her do this. He couldn't let her give up her life for his. He wouldn't.

"I promise, Eugene. You just have to trust me!" she begged him to listen to her. But he refused.

"N-no!" He protested once more. Rapunzel tried placing her hair on his injured side, but Eugene fought back. He tried pushing her away, but in his weakened state, she easily over powered him. He gasped as Rapunzel gently set her hair upon his wound.

"Just breathe." She tried soothing him, but he was working himself up. He protested more.

"No... I c-can't let you do this!" He grimaced as the pain rattled his insides. He fell into another fit of coughs, this time a small mixture of drool and blood dribbled down over his bottom lip. The dagger must have struck a lung. His breathing was becoming more and more labored. His forehead and hairline were laced with sweat, yet he trembled as the cold that came with death began to overtake him. Rapunzel had to do something.

"And I can't let you die..." she whispered to him as he took a moment to try and catch his breath, but he couldn't. His whole being hurt intensely, but he couldn't let her do this. He wouldn't. She had a whole life to live. He wouldn't let her waste that all for him; a thief. He had to think of something, anything.

"But if you do this," he took a moment to breathe and Rapunzel shushed him gently, placing her hand on his cheek to calm him down. But he continued none the less, "then y-you... will d-die."

"Hey!" She cut him off, "it's gonna be alright." She gave him a half smirk as tears welled in his eyes, and hers too. He looked at her pleadingly one last time before giving her a defeated, tired smile. He'd given up. What could he do?

But just as she was about to sing. He felt a coolness under his hand. Something hard and smooth. He looked down, and an idea fell into place.

"Rapunzel. Wait." He breathed. He raised his blood stained hand slowly to brush her cheek, and leaned in. A kiss, one that would be their first, and probably last. Or so Rapunzel though. She leaned in, unknowing of the shard of glass in Eugene's other hand. The broken mirror, sharp enough to cut...

Eugene leaned in to kiss her, but instead used all his strength to pull her hair back and lunge forward, crying out sharply in pain as he sliced through her long blonde hair in one fell swoop. And as her hair dropped to the ground, so did Eugene. He doubled over and toppled onto his side.

"Eugene wha..?" Rapunzel was baffled. Her long blonde hair quickly turned a dark brunette, faster that she imagine.

"NO!" Gothel shrieked. She tried quickly to gather up the lost hair, but it quickly turned brown in her grasp. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

She grabbed her dagger once more and tried making a deadbolt for the limp Eugene, enraged that he had taken her one prized possession. But as she noticed her hands growing more and more wrinkled, she instead ran towards the broken mirror, shrieking and screaming as she saw herself growing older and older.

"What have you done?! What have you done?!" Gothel pulled her cloak over her ugly, decrepit face and began flailing around as she rapidly aged. She stumbled across the tile floor and unknowingly neared the window.

Pascal, who was hiding nearby, took this opportunity to strike. He gathered Rapunzel's long brown hair into his mouth and pulled it taught. Gothel tripped over the hair and toppled out the window. Rapunzel's arms instinctively went out to catch her, but it was too late. Gothel screamed as she fell downwards, but her age caught up with her, and she turn to dust before she even hit the ground.

Rapunzel sat there in disbelief, her breath coming out in short gasps as she took in what had just happened. The only mother she had ever known, regardless of her twisted intentions, was gone. Rapunzel couldn't help but feel a twinge of anguish for the dead Gothel. But then she heard a weak groan behind her, and she snapped back into reality. Eugene still needed her. He was still so badly hurt, but now she had no magic hair to heal him. What was she going to do?

Rapunzel whipped around to find Eugene slumped on his side, unmoving and so pale. She grabbed his shoulder and flipped him on to his back and into her lap.

"No no no no no! Eugene?!" She grabbed his face gently in between her hands, scanning his face for any sign of life. A breath, a twitch, a moan... anything.

After what seemed like ages, he let out a small fit of coughs, his closed eyes opening ever so slightly before rolling back shut again. All his strength was drained out of him, and his head lolled to the side. Rapunzel brought his face back towards her, gently caressing his cheek, tears welling in her eyes.

"Look at me," she cried, "look at me! I'm right here please don't go! Stay with me Eugene!" Rapunzel grabbed Eugene's limp hand and brought it up to her choppy brown hair and began singing her healing incantation frantically.

With a Herculean effort, Eugene opened his eyes and tried calling out to her, but his breath fell short. Tears blurred his vision as he listened to Rapunzel's frantic singing; it broke his heart.

"Hey..." He tried calling out to her again, blood spilling over his lips, but she kept going. She was too determined, and her sining drowned out the soft sound of his voice.

He had to get her attention. He had to calm her, to tell her everything was going to be okay. With one last burst of energy, he called out to her again.

"Rapunzel!" He gasped out as loud as he could, which sadly wasn't that loud at all, and gently tugged her hair to pull her face closer to his.

"What?" Rapunzel stopped her singing to look down at Eugene's broken form. Eugene took a moment to take a deep breath, but he couldn't. He stroked her face gently with his thumb and opened his eyes one last time.

"You were my new dream..." he choked out, his voice sounding marbled and thick. With his eyes open, Rapunzel could see the tears in his eyes, and wiped one away as it fell down his cheek. With tears in her eyes as well and the saddest smile on her face, she looked down lovingly at him.

"And you were mine." She squeezed Eugene's hand tightly to her chest, hoping that maybe holding tightly enough would will him to stay.

But it wasn't, and with one last labored breath, Eugene's chest went still. His eyes slid half way shut and Rapunzel let out a stifled sob as she saw the light in his eyes dim down to darkness. No more trembling, no more pain.

All was still and silent.

Eugene's hand went limp in Rapunzel's grasp, and the only sound remaining was Rapunzel's quiet sobs.


End file.
